Intermittent lubricant metering device



Nimah 26, 1935.. o. A, wiLLiAMs 1557762 INTERMITTENT LUBRICANT METERINGDEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1935' Patentedl Mar. '26, 19.35

UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE INTERMITTENT LUBRICANT METERING DEVICE 8Claims.

graphite, is agitated by the inflowing air and is` then held insuspension by the air currents, and is thereby oated as it were into theusual intake manifold, for direct application to the walls of each ofthe engine cylinders. On the other hand, itis to be understood that theprinciples incorporated inthe device provide for its use in theapplication of liquid and semi-liquid, as well as solid, semi-solid andiinely divided lubricants.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of adiaphragm as a means for automatically regulatingthe :dow of lubricantintermittently, or in other words at such intervals as may be requiredfor the proper lubrication of the cylinders, and in accordance with, aswell as under the control of, the working period of the engine, byvirtue of variations in the degree lof vacuum in the fuel intake, asaffected by the extentto which the carburetor is opened and the'induction system is in full operation. That is, the more the carburetoris opened and the vacuum decreased, the less the new device willfunction to agitate and admit quantities of lubricant into the enginecylinders, whereas -when the carburetor is closed and the engine isidling, the vacuum is correspondingly increased and the improved deviceaccordingly acts to supply lubricant in accordance with itscharacteristic construction and functioning.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character which isboth simply and inexpensively constructed, and which can be both cleanedand reassembled with ease, and without the slightest chance ofdisarrangement; also to provide a device having a reservoir or lubricantcontainer, which can be readily iilled whenever necessary withoutdisturbing the diaphragm-actuated valve, or in fact any of the otherparts of the device. With these objects in mind, the invention comprisesfurther details of construction and operation, which are fully broughtout in the following description, when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which (Cl. 12S-196) Fig. 1 is a top plan viewof one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cover per se. a

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of the invention hereillustrated comprises a substantially cylindrical body portion 1,provided with a preferably integral partition, dividing the interior ofsaid body portion into normally l upper and lower chambers 3 and 4,respectively. Extending laterally and integrally from one side of theupper marginal portion of said body is a bracket 5, terminating in anangularly extending portion 6, thru which any desired number of bolts orother securing means 7 normally extend, to removably attach the deviceto a support conveniently located with respect to the internalcombustion engine, with which said device is cooperatively associatedfor lubrication purposes. Said bolts or the like also extend thru anangularly disposed portion 8 of a substantially planular sheet metalcover 9, the forward marginal portion of which is turned downwardly, toprovide a flange 10 normally 25 overhanging the adjacent portion of saidbody l, said cover comprising a removable closure for the upper chamber3 and being provided centrally with a preferably concave raised portion11, having an aperture 12, said raised portion being provided in orderto permit unrestrained movement of the diaphragm and attached parts, ashereinafter described, while said aperture serves as an inlet port forair to enter said upper chamber.

The peripheral wall of said last-named chamber is characterized by asuitably shaped shoulder 13, upon which is adapted to rest any desiredform of rubber or other yielding type of gasket 14 (formed either of asingle or a. plurality of 40 sections), which gasket supports theperiphery of a preferably concave or slightly conical metallic gasket l5in spaced relation with the adjacent portions of said body 1, saidgasket being maintained in operative position by means of a suitablyshaped ring 16, which may be secured within the upper portion of thechamber 3 by any desired means, such for instance as being in bindingfrictional engagement with the walls 17 of a diametrically enlargedportion of said last-named y chamber. Centrally said gasket is providedwith an aperture 18, thru which extends a screw l'19, or other suitableform of adjustable means provided with an axial bore 20, and its lowerend terminating in a conically shaped recess 21, while 55 the positionof said screw or the like is adjustably set and maintained xedly withrespect to said diaphragm by means of nuts 22, in threaded engagementwith the same upon the opposite sides of the diaphragm.

The partition 2 is provided centrally with a downwardly extendingcylindrical collar 23 in which issecured a stud 24, by any suitablemeans, such that said stud may be removable from said partition, or maybe unitarily secured therein (as indicated in Fig. 2) by die-casting onepart with respect to the other. In any case said stud is provided with acentrally upwardly extending conical projection 25 adapted to normallyenter the correspondingly shaped recess in the screw 19, while laterallyof said projection a relatively cylindrical bore 26 extends downwardlythru said stud, and at its lower end opens into a relatively largeraxially positioned bore 27, into which is secured in any suitable mannerthe upper end portion of a metallic tube 28.

Said tube is provided in its lowermost extremity, or elsewhere as may bedesired, with a relatively restricted aperture or plurality of apertures29 of any desired shape and arrangement, such that intermittentpulsations of air flowing downwardly thru said tube and emergingtherefrom will cause an agitation and intermingling of the dust,comprising a surrounding body 30 of finely divided graphite, or othersuitable lubricant, with the air in the upper portion 3l of a suitablyshaped reservoir 32, which in this case comprises an inverted conicalmember of glass or the like, in order that the level and condition ofthe lubricant contained therein can be readily seen at all times fromthe exterior of the device. The upper peripheral portion of saidreservoir comprises a relatively outwardly extending flange 33, which ispositioned within a downwardly extending ange 34, comprising an integralprojection of the body 1 and externally threaded to receive a removablenut 35, which also comprises a radially inwardly extending flange 36,which flange cooperates with and securesthe adjacent reservoir flange33, to said body in operative position, thru the medium of a suitableform of rubber or similar gasket 37, said reservoir flange beingseparated from direct contact with the positioning shoulder 38 of saidbody by means of a cork or other form of gasket 39.

Extending radially thru a side wall of the body 1 is a threaded aperture40, in communication inwardly with the lower chamber 4, and adapted toreceive in threaded engagement any suitable form of pipe or the like,for the purpose of operatively connecting the improved lubricantmetering device to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine.With the parts of the device assembled and thus. described, and asillustrated in the accompanying drawing, and bearing in mind that thescrew 19 is normally supported by the diaphragm in spaced relation withthe stud projection 25, any increase in the vacuum in the intakemanifold, when unrelieved by a partial or complete opening of thecarburetor, will automatically cause air to be drawn inwardly thru theaperture l2, and thence by way of the bore 20, stud bore 26 and pipe 28into the lower chamber 4, and thus into the intake manifold, beforefinally entering the cylinders of the engine during the fuel intakestroke of the respective pistons- As long as this inflow of air is at acertain predetermined rate, the intermittent pulsations of the aircurrents thru the powdered lubricant 30 will cause the latter to beagitated in such a way as to produce a dust laden atmosphere within saidlower aperture 40, whence said lubricant is floated in air suspensioninto the intake manifold and respective cylinders. However, when thevacuum in said manifold increases-beyond a certain predetermined degree,vthe screw 19v is drawn downwardly against the yielding tension of thediaphragm 15, and until said screw binds against said stud projection 25and closes the lower end of the bore 20, thereby shutting of! eitherpartially or entirely the inflow of air thru the tube 28 and into thelower compartment 4, with the result that the flow of powdered lubricantinto said manifold and cylinders is discontinued.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A lubricating device forinternal-combustion engines, comprising a casing, a transverselyextending partition having a fluid passage, a lubricant reservoir uponone side of said partition, a tube extending from said passage to apoint below the normal level of lubricant in said reservoir, a.passageway to connect said reservoir to the intake manifold of anengine, and a yieldingly positioned diaphragm extending across saidcasing upon the opposite side of said partition, and having an apertureadapted to be closed by said partition at one position of saiddiaphragm.

2. A lubricating device for internal combustion engines, comprising acasing, a transversely extending partition having a fluid passage, alubricant reservoir upon one side of said partition, a tube extendingfrom said passage below the level of lubricant in said reservoir, apassageway to connect said reservoir to the intake manifold of anengine, and a yieldingly positioned diaphragm extending across saidcasing upon the opposite side of said partition, and having a restrictedaperture of less diameter than that of said partition passage andadapted to be closed by said partition at one position of said diaphragmwhen the vacuum in the intake manifold of the engine is unrelieved thruthe engines carbureter.

3. A lubricating device for internal combustion engines, comprising acasing, a transversely extending partition having a fluid passage, alubricant reservoir upon one side of said partition, a tube extendingfrom said passage below the level of lubricant in said reservoir, apassageway to connect said reservoir to the intake manifold of anengine, and a yieldingly positioned diaphragm extending across saidcasing upon the opposite side of said partition, and havinga restrictedaperture adapted to be closed by said partition at one position of saiddiaphragm, and a detachable closure for the diaphragm side of saiddevice having an inlet aperture.

4. A lubricating device for internal combustion engines, comprising acasing, a transversely extending partition having a uid passage and avalve extension, a lubricant reservoir upon one side of said partition,a tube extending from said passage below the level of lubricant in saidreservoir, a passageway to connect said reservoir to the intake manifoldof an engine, and a yieldingly positioned diaphragm extending acrosssaid casing, upon the opposite side of said partition. and having arestricted aperture adapted to be variably closed by said valveextension at various positions of said diaphragm, said diaphragm noi'-mally maintaining said aperture open.

- intake manifold of an engine, a yieldingly positioned diaphragmextending across said casing upon the opposite side of saidpartition,and an axially adjustable stud extending thru and supported by saiddiaphragm, and said stud being provided with a restricted axial boreadapted to be closed in varying degrees by said valve extension, withvarying positions of said diaphragm in accordance with varying degreesof vacuum in the intake manifold of the engine.

6. A lubricating device for internal combustion engines, comprising acasing, a partition having a fluid passage, a lubricant reservoir uponone side of said partition, a tube extendingfrom said passage to a pointbelow the normal level of lubricant in said reservoir, a passageway toconnect said reservoir to the intake manifold of an engine, and ayieldingly positioned diaphragm extending across said uid passage uponthe opposite side of said partition, and having an aperture adapted tobe closed by cooperation with said partition at one position of saiddiaphragm.

7. A lubricating device for internal combustion engines, comprising areservoir, a closure for said reservoir having a uid passage, a tubeextending from said passage to a point below the normal level oflubricant in said reservoir, a passageway to connect said reservoir tothe intake manifold of an engine, and a yieldingly positioned diaphragmextending across said uid passage upon the opposite side of said closurefrom said reservoir, and having an aperture adapted to be closed by saidclosure at one position of said diaphragm,

8. A lubricating device for internal combustion engines, comprising areservoir, a closure for said reservoir having a uid passage, a tubeextending from said passage to a point below the normal level oflubricant in said reservoir, a passageway to connect said reservoir tothe intake manifold of an engine, and a yieldingly positioned diaphragmcarried by a hollow annular extension of said closure and extendingacross said uid pas-s sage upon the opposite side of said closure fromsaid reservoir, and having an aperture adapted to be closed by saidclosure at one position of said diaphragm.

OSCAR A. WILLIAMS.

